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The term "Brain Injury" can mean one of two types of injury, either
ABI or TBI. These terms are described below.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an
injury to the brain that is not hereditary, present at birth, or
degenerative. Causes include traumatic brain injury; anoxic/hypoxic
injury (e.g. heart attack, carbon monoxide poisoning), intracranial
surgery, seizure disorders and toxic exposure (e.g. substance abuse,
ingestion or inhalation of volatile agents).
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), with or
without skull fracture, is an insult to the brain caused by an
external physical force that may produce a diminished or altered
state of consciousness. (This type of brain injury is what we mean
when we discuss prevention.)
Brain injury may result in an
impairment of cognitive abilities (e.g. perception, memory, or
judgment), physical, behavioral or emotional functioning. A brain
injury may be either temporary or permanent and may cause either
partial or total functional impairment.
Mild brain injury, also known as
concussion, is an injury that may leave the person feeling dazed or
cause a brief loss of consciousness. Mild brain injury can lead to
"post-concussion syndrome" that can include headaches, dizziness,
mild mental slowing, and fatigue. For some people, symptoms may last
only a few months; for others, problems may persist indefinitely.
National Statistics About Brain
Injury
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), TBIs contribute to a substantial
number of deaths and cases of permanent disability annually.
Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI
each year in the United States:
Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI
results in an estimated:
The number of people with TBI who are
not seen in an emergency department or who receive no care is
unknown.
Delaware Statistics About Brain
Injury
According to the Delaware Trauma
System Registry, from 2000 to 2003, over 1100 people were admitted
to Delaware Hospitals with TBI. Since 2003, this number increased to
more than 1375 per year. These figures include more than 150
children ages 0 to 14 per year.
More recent information has become
available through the State's Trauma Registry. Data collected from
two five year studies (from 1994-98 and 2001-05) shows.
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Hospitalization for TBI increased 14.6
percent
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The largest increases were in the age
groups of 75-84 and 85+
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Males accounted for 63% of all TBI
associated discharges
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Patients aged 15-24 accounted for the
largest single proportion (19% of total hospitalizations
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TBI hospitalization rates for males
were twice that of females
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